Art of Love
by Carnivorous Mushroom
Summary: Kikyou is a young musician who is offered to play for a very rich family. There she meets Sesshoumaru, a cold hearted young man. Can they teach each other the art of love? SessKik AU
1. An Aspiring Musician

**Author's Note:** Yes, I know, I should be writing my other story, but I just couldn't help it! I had to write it down before I forgot it! This idea came to me when I was practicing my instrument the other day. I thought it would be a good idea. At least, I hope it is. The pairing is Sesshoumaru and Kikyou, so if you don't like these two paired up with each other, then don't read it. It's as simple as that. If you do like SessKik, then I hope you like this story!

**Disclaimer:** I don't Inuyasha.

**--**

_**The Art of Love**_

**_Chapter One: An Aspiring Musician_**

_**--**_

The usual crowded streets of the large city were almost completely empty. Perhaps it was the extreme heat of the sun's rays that caused the sidewalks and streets of the city to almost be empty. People would rather stay indoors than go outside into the blazing heat, and so they would avoid going outdoors. A lone woman, however,came out of an elegant-looking building. She wore a long black skirt and a white blouse. In top of her head, she wore a hat to protect herself from getting sunburned. Her black, raven-colored hair was tied up into a bun to keep her long, flowing hair out of her face and also so it wouldn't be so hot.

She appeared to be caring a strangely shaped case in her hand. It was small, but had a relatively odd shape. It wasn't a suitcase, it was much smaller than that, and it bore a rectangular shape. People who passed her in their air-conditioned cars would wonder what the case was and what was inside it. The woman noticed the stares she got from the passing people in their cars and she knew they were wondering what she was holding.

She would never cease to be amazed by people's ignorance to music, for the strange little case she was holding contained a flute, which was indeed a musical instrument. The only instrument cases people recognized those days were guitar cases. The woman sighed as she walked on the hot pavement of the sidewalk. The heat of the concrete below her went through her shoes, but she didn't protest or complain. She knew that complaining wasn't going to help get rid of the heat.The woman then stopped at a streetlight and pushed the button, and in a few moments she was able cross the street.

She continued walking straight after that until she arrived at an apartment building. She opened the two large doors leading to it and when she got inside, she got on the elevator. She patiently waited while the elevator got tothe desired floor, which happened to be the sixth floor. She walked through the longcorridor and stopped in front of a door that had the number '124' imprinted on it. She took out a key from her pocket and opened the door. She went in to find a girl sitting on the couch, apparently, she was reading a book. She appeared to be about eleven years of age. The girl looked up from her book and smiled happily at the older woman at the door.

"Kikyou, big sister! You're home!" The girl said happily as she got off of the couch and went to greet the older woman, Kikyou. Kikyou smiled back at her little sister.

"I see you're doing well, Kaede." Kikyou told her younger sister. Kikyou walked towards the table in front of the couch and set her flute there. The apartment she lived in was quite spacious. There weren't too many decorations adorning the place because Kikyou disliked having too much junk. But the few things that adorned their home were stylish and modern.

"So, how was your day today?" Kaede asked Kikyou, who had taken off her elegant hat.

"The same as usual." Kikyou said bluntly. She had performed at a fancy French restaurant that day, and it was the same as every other time she performed for other people. She would play beautifully, they would love her performance, and she would get paid. It was as simple as that. Kikyou got paid a fairly good sum of money. It was enough to pay for the daily necessities and she had enough money extra to use on things that weren't exactly necessary. She wouldn't say she was filthy rich, but she was not poor either. She considered herself to be in the middle-class.

"How was the restaurant like?" Kaede asked. She was curious about how French and fancy restaurants were like. She had heard from her friends that the restaurant Kikyou was going to perform at was a famous four star restaurant where all the rich people went to dine at.

"It was... fancy. The people there were dressed in the finest clothing. They were very sophisticated." Kikyou explained to Kaede. Most of the time, Kikyou would take Kaede with her when she was to perform. But this time, Kaede decided to stay home because of the heat outside.

Kikyou played at a lot of places. She played at restaurants, theatres, and sometimes even parks. She was a part of an orchestra, but the orchestra didn't get together and play until late November. Right now, it was still early July. Overall, Kikyou was a well-known musician in the city, and many people would hire her for her amazing ability to play so well. She didn't only play the flute. She played many other instruments such as the violin, piano, clarinet, piccolo, oboe, and amazingly, a trombone (most people couldn't imagine her playing such a big instrument.). She also taught Kaede how to play. She sometimes composed music.

"So, where's your next job?" Kaede asked her older sister. Kikyou remained silent for a minute. It seemed like she was thinkikng about it.

"I think the theatre that's near the center of the city is where I'm going next." Kikyou replied. Kaede's eyes widened at the mention of the place where Kikyou was going to go next.

"You mean that really big one?" Kaede asked her. Kikyou nodded her response. Kaede smiled happily. "Kikyou, that theatre is really famous! People from around the world go to play there! That's so cool, you're gonna be famous, Kikyou!" Kaede chirped cheerfully. Kikyou smiled at her sister's prediction. Kikyou's goal wasn't really to be a famous musician. As long as she could play, she was happy with what she was. Although, Kikyou wouldn't mind being well-known in the musical world.

"Maybe" Kikyou said. "So, I see you're reading a book." Kikyou stated, changing the subject. Kaede looked a little confused at first; she had totally forgotten about the book she was previouslyreading. Once Kaede had remembered about it she spoke.

"Oh, yeah! I've been reading the whole day. I was tired of watching television, so I decided to read one of your books. I never thought books could be so interesting." Kaede explained.

"I see…" For the rest of the after noon, Kaede continued reading, as did Kikyou.

**-----Later that afternoon-----**

Kikyou was taking a shower while Kaede was still reading. Kaede had already taken a shower earlier. Kikyou came out and sat next to her sister;Kaede smiled and her stomach all of a sudden started grumbling. Kaede looked away as she blushed from embarrassment.

"You are hungry?" Kikyou stated more than asked. Kaede nodded, still embarrassed. "Well, how about we make ourselves something to eat, hm?" Kikyou asked her. She got up and went to the kitchen. When she opened the refrigerator she was a little shocked to see that it was almost empty. Kikyou bit back the urge to sigh as she stared at the refrigerator. "Actually, how about we go out to eat?" Kikyou asked Kaede.

"Huh? S-Sure!" Kaede replied. Kaede stood up.

"Let me just change and get ready." Kikyou said as she went into her room.

'_I wonder why Kikyou gets ready. She doesn't need it. She's beautiful no matter what_.' Kaede thought. Kikyou was indeed very beautiful in Kaede's opinion, and not only hers. Many people admired Kikyou's natural beauty. Kaede was snapped out of her thought when Kikyou came out of the room. Her hair was tied back in a loose pony tail. She was clad in a white skirt that went a little past her knees and wore a black short-sleeved top.

"Shall we go?" Kikyou asked as she walked out the door. Kaede nodded as she followed her. They walked about half a block when a black expensive-looking car stopped beside them. Kikyou almost rolled her eyes. She knew who it was and really wished he hadn't appeared. Kaede, too, wished he hadn't appeared. The window next to the driver's seat was slowly opened andinside was a man with dark, unruly hair and crimson red eyes. He was dark, tall, and handsome, but Kikyou was annoyed by him.

"Why, hello, dear Kikyou." He greeted her. Kikyou looked distastefully at him before she decided to speak.

"What do you want, Naraku?" she asked him coldly. She didn't want to put up with him, not today, not ever. Naraku smirked at her as she awaited his answer. He laughed a bit.

"I was only passing through when I saw you here." He answered her. "How about I accompany you to wherever you're going. He then asked her.

"No, it is quite alright. We are only going to eat somewhere," Kikyou started, "We wouldn't want to trouble you." Kikyou said, almost sarcastically. Naraku was completely oblivious to her comment.

"It's no problem, dear. I don't mind going anywhere with you." He said; smiling. Naraku had met Kikyou at one of her performances at a restaurant. He wasn't really into her music; he was more interested in how she looked. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on. He continued gazing at her intently andKikyou had noticed him staring, and she was a little uncomfortable at his endless staring. Later that evening, when she was leaving, he had come to her and talked to her a bit. During the conversation she had been foolish enough to give him her phone number, and now she regrets it. She didn't think he would actually turn out the way he did.

Ever since the day she met him, he wouldn't stop bothering her. He could get very annoying, and she couldn't get rid of him. She tried to tell him off, but he just wouldn't leave her alone. Now, she wished he had never met him, but fate was cruel to her, as always.

--

**A/N:** I know there was no Sesshoumaru this chapter, but there will be next chapter! Next chapter will probably be all about him. Anyways, my other story is still my main priority, so I'll probably update this story after I update the other one. I know some of you are wondering, "Could it really be that hot enough for the heat to go through your shoes?" The answer is yes. It can be that hot, believe me, it has happened to me. Especially when we're out in P.E. class and the teacher would make us play basketball on the blacktop in June. Oh, the horrible pain! T-T Okay, enough of my endless rambling. Oh, and please leave reviews! I really want to know how I did! Pretty please!

Adios!


	2. Déjà Vu

**Author's Note: **Well… I'm sorry for the delay, but I had no time to update the last few days! I'm so very sorry! (But it's not like many people are interested in this fic, though… T-T)

**Disclaimer:** Nope, I don't own Inuyasha!

**--**

_**Art of Love**_

**_Chapter Two: Déjà Vu _**

_**--**_

Naraku had insisted on taking Kikyou in his car, but in the end, she got her way, and he left her alone with her sister. Naraku was such a bother to have around.

The streets and sidewalks of the busy city were now occupied by more people, probably because the heat wasn't so intense anymore and it was much more bearable.

Then the two got to their desired destination, which happened to be a nearby restaurant. They ordered some food and ate there.

As soon as they had finished their meal, they had gotten out of the place to go back to their home. Kaede glanced at the small shops they passed. Her attention was caught by one particular shop that happened to sell something she had wanted for quite some time now. She's never said anything to Kikyou about it because she didn't want to bother her.

Because Kaede was looking intently at the shop's display, she wasn't paying attention to where she was going, which caused her to bump straight into another person who was walking on the street.

Kaede stumbled back a little bit in surprise and looked up at the person she had bumped into. She had to raise her head to see the tall man in front of her. Besides being tall, the man was very handsome and he was young. He appeared to be a bit older than her sister, Kikyou.

"I'm sorry, sir!" Kaede apologized while she bowed a little bit. The man looked down at the little girl who had bumped into him, but said nothing. The look in his eyes was unreadable; she couldn't tell if he was bothered or if he had forgave her.

Kikyou looked back to find her younger sister not there. She then saw her in front of a tall man. Kikyou walked back to Kaede and stopped a few feet away from her.

Kikyou assumed that Kaede had bumped into the man by accident because she wasn't paying attention to where she was going. Kikyou then bowed at the man and muttered a quiet 'sorry'. The man didn't say anything as he watched Kikyou. Kikyou turned to Kaede and spoke to her.

"Come, Kaede, we must go." She said as she began walking once again. The man watched them as they silently walked off, he also continued on his way to wherever he was heading.

He looked a little bit odd from the rest of the crowd on the sidewalk. He wore an impassive expression on his face and he appeared rather elegant and regal in an inexplicable way. Also, he was very handsome, and many passing females swooned at him. He, of course, did not pay any heed to their foolishness. He was use to it, though. He was a little startled when the woman who had come to apologize didn't even acknowledge him very much, which was strange, since he was hard not to notice. But like everything else, he tucked it in the back of his mind.

As he walked he spotted something he really did not want to see. He grimaced at the sight of a boy who was a bit younger than himself walking towards him. The boy coming towards him had his arms crossed over his chest and also wore an expression of distaste. He had a boyish-looking face.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing here?" The man asked the younger one once he was close enough.

"Feh. I was only taking a stroll when I unfortunately saw you. So, what are you doing here, Sesshoumaru?" the boy whose name was Inuyasha said with distaste. The man, Sesshoumaru, frowned even more.

"It's none of your concern." Sesshoumaru replied, with the same amount of distaste as Inuyasha. His voice was low and he talked in a monotone.

They both must have been related because they had similar physical features. They both had spectacular eyes the color of gold and had similar hair. The difference between them was that Inuyasha appeared boyish and looked casual, while Sesshoumaru looked more mature. They both also seemed to resent one another's presence.

"Well, whatever, dear brother, I'm leaving." Inuyasha said; his voice laced with sarcasm. Inuyasha soon left and was out of sight. Sesshoumaru also left, but was headed the opposite way Inuyasha was going.

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru were half-brothers; yet they disliked each other. Sesshoumaru thought Inuyasha to be a complete fool. To him, Inuyasha was stupid, uncivilized, vulgar, and rude, all of which he hated.

Inuyasha didn't like Sesshoumaru for many reasons. One of his main reasons, though, was because Sesshoumaru acted like a know-it-all jackass. Sometimes, Inuyasha would refer to him as having 'a stick up his ass.' Some people found it humorous, but Sesshoumaru didn't think so. When he had heard Inuyasha saying that about him, he wanted to tear his little brother apart, but had decided against it. He knew that his father wouldn't be very happy if he found out he had attempted to kill Inuyasha, and besides, it would be pitiful to let such an insult get to him.

Sesshoumaru continued walking through the city until he finally stopped. He happened to stop at a tall apartment building. He opened the doors leading to the building and got on the elevator. He seemed to be headed to the top floor of the building. When the elevator stopped, he got out and went in through a door. Apparently, Sesshoumaru lived in the penthouse apartment.

It must have been a costly place to live since the apartment was very big and spacious. It was quite bare, but it wasn't like Sesshoumaru to decorate the place with junk, and he didn't deem it necessary to adorn it.

Some people thought it weird that Sesshoumaru got a place to live with his own money. After all, Sesshoumaru's father, Inutaisho, was filthy rich and lived in a large mansion. If Sesshoumaru wanted to, he could live with his father in the mansion, but he'd rather not. That would mean he would have to live with his annoying younger half-brother, Inuyasha.

Their father thought that the hatred between the two was stupid and irrational. How could two blood-brothers hate each other? It was utterly impossible, in his opinion anyway. Inutaisho believed that they didn't really hate each other; that it was merely just sibling rivalry.

Although Sesshoumaru had moved out, he still was in contact with his father and his family. Every so often, he would visit the mansion to visit his step-cousin, Rin. Rin was Izayoi's niece. Izayoi was Inutaisho's current wife and the mother of Inuyasha. Rin's parents had died when she was very young, and Inutaisho and Izayoi had taken her in.

At first, Rin was very quite; she never spoke a word. In fact, Sesshoumaru had thought that perhaps she was a mute. But it was then clear that she was just traumatized by her parent's death. Her parents were killed by thieves, and she had witnessed the whole ordeal. She was hidden, but she saw the incident.

Over time, however, she got over the trauma and became very energetic. Despite her perkiness, she grew on the seemingly cold-hearted Sesshoumaru. She, too, grew fond of him, but actually, Rin had liked him from the very beginning.

Inuyasha also grew fond of the girl, as she did of him. She thought of Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru as the older brothers she had never had.

Although Sesshoumaru was still in connection with his father, he couldn't say the same about his mother. He rarely visited his mother. His mother and father had divorced when Sesshoumaru was still a boy, and his mother never really cared much about him.

Almost abruptly, Sesshoumaru's cell phone rang; snapping him out of his thoughts about his long-gone mother.

"Yes?" Sesshoumaru answered the phone.

"Ah, Sesshoumaru, it's me, your father." The man on the phone replied.

Sesshoumaru sighed a bit before he said, "What is it, father?"

"I just found the perfect musician to play at the social-gathering!" Inutaisho said.

"And this concerns me how?" Sesshoumaru asked him, he looked a little irritated.

"Well, you're going aren't you?" Inutaisho questioned his elder son.

"I believe not." Sesshoumaru replied bluntly.

"You must go, Sesshoumaru! Everyone is expecting you to be there. It would be rude not to show up!" Inutaisho insisted. Sesshoumaru then realized that he really had no choice in the matter.

"Fine, I'll go."

"Good. Now, about the musician I found. She's perfect! She plays beautifully and our guests are going to love her. I'm sure of it. I haven't contacted her yet, but I'm sure she will accept my offer." Inutaisho said.

"Father, where exactly did you find this musician?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"I was at my favorite French restaurant, when this girl, about the age of Inuyasha, came out and played the flute and the piano. Her music was truly breath-taking. She was also quite beautiful if I may add." Inutaisho informed him.

Sesshoumaru didn't know why his father had to go through the trouble to hire a musician for some business party. He should just get a CD and pop it in the stereo, and that would be good enough to keep people entertained.

"I asked one of the workers at the restaurant who she was, and they said she was a pretty well-known musician around the area. The worker said her name was Kikyou."

Déjà vu came to Sesshoumaru as he saw a flash of a happy-looking Inuyasha in his mind. Sesshoumaru felt like he had heard the name 'Kikyou' somewhere before, but he couldn't remember where. And why did he see a flash of Inuyasha in his head? Inuyasha had nothing to do with the name 'Kikyou,' or did it?

"Sesshoumaru? Sesshoumaru? Are you still there? Sesshoumaru?" Inutaisho called out.

"I'm still here, father." He said as he was pulled out his reverie by his father's voice. "Was that all you wanted to tell me?"

"Yes, that's all. Well, I have to go now, alright? Farewell." Inutaisho said as he hung up. Sesshoumaru put his cell phone down and frowned at the idea of having to go to a party.

Sesshoumaru was then reminded of the strange image that went through his head. Sesshoumaru decided not to dwell on the answer, for he had other things to worry about, such as business and his work.

**--**

Well, there you go the second chapter… This one was hard to write, I kept rewriting it every so often. I know that Sesshoumaru's father's name is not 'Inutaisho' and that it's just his rank, but I needed a name for him, and that's the only one I could think of (I suck at making up names.). Also, Sesshoumaru does not live at the same apartment Kikyou does, just so you know. Oh, and I'm sorry for taking long to update, but seeing as I was practically out the whole week, I really didn't have time to update. My friend wanted to go shopping, and when we go to the mall together, we stay there for hours. And also, I went on vacation, so… yeah… Reviews would be nice.

Adieu!


	3. Familiarity

**Author's Note: **I know I should be updating my other story, but I just couldn't help myself! ;

**Disclaimer:** Nope, I don't own Inuyasha.

--

_**Art of Love **_

**_Chapter Three: Familiarity_**

_**--**_

'_That man looked sorta familiar…_' Kaede thought as she and her older sister continued on their walk home. Kaede thought that the man she had bumped into earlier looked familiar; like if she had seen him somewhere else before, but she was not sure.

Kikyou noticed that Kaede had her mind on something. She decided to ask her younger sister what was wrong.

"Kaede, is something on your mind?" Kikyou asked.

"Oh, it's just that man, the one I bumped into." Kaede replied after hearing her sister's question.

"What about that man? Do you still feel embarrassed about it?"

"No, it's just that I feel… like I've met him before…" Kaede explained.

"Perhaps you saw him pass by somewhere else before…" Kikyou stated. Kaede thought of it for a moment and tried to remember all the people she had met until now.

"Yeah, you must be right…" Kaede agreed. She didn't sound too sure about her answer, but concluded that she couldn't have met him before because if she had, he would have recognized her.

Kikyou couldn't help but think that she too had seen him before. He looked like a certain someone… No, that man couldn't have looked like a certain someone she knew all too well. She didn't want to even think about that person.

The man who Kaede had bumped into earlier must have looked like that certain person because of mere coincidence. After all, many people in this world looked alike. She tried to convince herself that it was only a coincidence, but she couldn't stop thinking about _him_.

"Sister, are you alright?" Kaede asked; noticing her older sister's semi-troubled expression. Kikyou made sure to hide what she was feeling most of the time, but when it concerned _him_, she couldn't hide her feelings. She couldn't hide the pain she felt whenever she thought about him, and she hated that.

"I'm fine." Kikyou replied hastily. Kaede was now sure something was troubling her elder sister, for her sister always replied rapidly like that when something was wrong.

Kaede wanted to ask what was bothering Kikyou, but she knew that Kikyou would refuse that anything was wrong. Kaede knew that her elder sister was stubborn when it came to explaining what she was feeling.

Kikyou forced herself to stop thinking about him, and eventually, she did. After a while, they had arrived at their apartment. Kaede sat down on the couch and turned on the television while Kikyou went to the kitchen to get a drink of water.

When Kikyou remembered that they had almost nothing in the fridge, she sighed. She was planning on going to the market when they were on their way home from the restaurant they had gone to, but she had gotten distracted. Kikyou went out of the kitchen and went to the living room.

"Kaede, I'm going to get some groceries, alright? You can stay here if you want." Kikyou told her younger sister, who was currently watching some cartoon show on the television.

"Okay, I'll stay here." Kaede said. Kikyou went to grab her simple, black purse and was out the door in a matter of seconds. As Kikyou went outside, she was met by the dullness of the place.

The streets of the city were now crowded once again. The temperature had cooled down quite a bit now, so more people were outside now. Kikyou walked gracefully through the sidewalk; gaining stares from people because she stood out so much from the crowd.

Kikyou paid no heed to the people's stares, and continued on her way. She then got to the grocery store, and made her way inside. There, she got what was needed and went to pay. Kikyou looked odd in the store. She was so different from every other person; she was so far from being normal. From her long flowing, black hair to her pale, pristine skin; she was indeed different from the rest.

After she was done paying, Kikyou exited the store and was now holding two bags in her hands. Kikyou looked on ahead of her to see a tall man coming towards her.

"Young woman, you are Kikyou, are you not?" The man asked Kikyou.

Kikyou halted her walk and stared at the man in front of her. How did that man know her name? And what exactly was his business with her? Kikyou pondered on the answer to those questions.

"Yes, I am. What business do you have with me?" She asked.

"My name is Inutaisho, and I happened to see your performance earlier today, and I was wondering if I could offer you a job. You see, I'm having a little social-gathering, and I was wondering if you could play there."

Kikyou stared at Inutaisho for a second. Why did that name sound so familiar to her? And his appearance was also familiar; she felt like she had met the man in the past.

That's when it hit her like a ton of bricks; Inutaisho was _his_ father. She hadn't met him personally, but she had heard his name mentioned. Kikyou frowned a bit.

"Miss, do you think you can play for us?" Inutaisho repeated.

Kikyou pondered on it for a bit before answering politely, "It depends, sir."

"On what does it depend?" Inutaisho asked.

"It depends on when you wish for me to perform." She replied; although it also depended on other things, such as her own personal feelings. She knew that if she would accept his offer, she would risk seeing the person she tried so hard to avoid at all costs.

"Hmmm, well, the party is on the day after tomorrow, which is on Wednesday. The time is at night." Inutaisho told her, "Are you free that day?"

"Yes, I am free." Kikyou hesitated a little. She had to forget about him; she had a job to do, and she knew that she shouldn't let her personal love problems interfere with her job.

"Well, what do you say, hmm? Do you think you can play for us?" he asked. Kikyou nodded and he then specified the time, place, and how much she would get paid. After hearing him out; she accepted his offer.

"Very well, thank you very much for your time, Ms. Kikyou, or are you a Mrs.?" Inutaisho joked; giving her one of his trademark smiles. Kikyou smiled back at him.

"You're welcome, sir." She said politely. They both then parted ways.

"Man, am I lucky?" Inutaisho muutered to himself when he was out of earshot. He had been taking a nice evening stroll when he happened to come across Kikyou coming out of a grocery store.

--

Kikyou sighed; she couldn't believe she had accepted that job. Was she ready to face that which she had avoided for so many years?

By the time she had arrived at the apartment building in which she lived in it was already dark. She came into her apartment to find Kaede sitting on the couch still watching television.

Kaede had been thinking about that man she had bumped into for almost all the time Kikyou was out. Kaede had gotten to a conclusion. The man's appearance reminded her greatly of Inuyasha. Her memory was a bit fuzzy, but she knew that Kikyou and Inuyasha use to share a special bond, and in one point in time, they had fallen in love with each other.

Kaede remembered that her sister and Inuyasha were a couple, and during the time that they were, Kikyou had been happier than ever before. But something happened that tore them apart almost three years ago. Kaede remembered that day quite well. She had never seen Kikyou look like that in her whole life.

Kikyou looked very livid that day; she also looked very sad. Kikyou had said nothing to her little sister and had gone inside her room. She hadn't locked the door and Kaede had peered inside to see Kikyou holding back tears. She wasn't quite sure whether they were tears of sorrow or anger. But she realized later on that they were tears of sorrow. Kaede remembered her sister's expression really well. Her tears were pouring down her pale cheeks.

Kikyou never explained to Kaede what exactly had happened, but she knew that it was something about Inuyasha, for Kaede never saw him again. Kaede was now sure that her sister had been thinking about Inuyasha earlier today and that was the reason why she looked a bit uneasy.

"Kaede, I'm home." Kikyou called out. Kaede turned around to find Kikyou setting the groceries on the kitchen counter. Kaede got off the couch to help Kikyou unpack the groceries. "I was offered a job." Kikyou said. Kikyou then explained her talk to Inutaisho to Kaede.

"So, it's the day after tomorrow?" Kaede asked. Kikyou nodded her response as she put a gallon of milk into the refrigerator. Kaede looked a little hesitant before she spoke.

"I...now know why that man I bumped into yesterday looked so familiar…" Kaede said. Kikyou paused for a second. Kaede contemplated on whether she should continue or not.

"Do you?" Kikyou replied after a long time. Kaede then decided that it was better if she didn't say anything; Kikyou would probably get upset if she was reminded more of Inuyasha.

"Yeah… He once worked at this store where my friends and I use to go to all the time." Kaede made up a lie. She never lied to her elder sister, but she felt the need to do it now.

Kikyou smirked a little. She knew that her little sister was thinking about Inuyasha; Kikyou was no fool.

"Is that so?" Kikyou said. She played along with Kaede's lie. "Well, I'm glad you remembered." Kikyou smiled as she spoke those words. The smile she wore on her lovely face was a fake one.

--

Sesshoumaru was looking through some papers at his home when his cell phone rang. He got up to where it was; it was on the small table in front of the sofa.

"What is it, father?" Sesshoumaru answered. He knew it was his father because he recognized the number.

"Sesshoumaru, the musician has accepted my offer. She will play for us on Wednesday." Inutaisho informed him.

A hint of annoyance spread through Sesshoumaru's face. Why did his father bother him with things that seemed so insignificant? He wondered if his father bothered Inuyasha with such things.

"Father, why must you bother me with these things? I do not care for them." Sesshoumaru said rather curtly.

"Because Inuyasha is almost never home, so I can't tell him." His father replied.

"Is that all you wanted to tell me?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Yes, that's all. Oh, and that Kikyou, she's even more beautiful up close." Inutaisho said whole-heartedly. "Anyway, I think it's time I leave you. See you on Wednesday, alright?" And those were Inutaisho's last words as he hung up.

Sesshoumaru hoped that that was the last time his father would call him. He was already a bit tense about having to go to some party. Sesshoumaru hated anything to do with parties. He did not find them very 'fun', as some people thought they were.

--

Hehe, next chapter, Sesshoumaru and Kikyou meet at the party and have a little talk, and also, a party isn't complete without Inuyasha! I won't be able to update until the weekend. You see, I'm currently in band camp (coughhellcough), which is all day long, and I have no time to update during weekdays. Reviews would be a nice thing to wake up to…

Adios!


	4. Reminiscing the Past

**Author's Note:** Hello, everyone. I decided to update my story today! Ahem, anyway, here's the fourth chapter. Oh, and also, there are some musical terms here, and if you're totally clueless to what they mean, feel free to ask me.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Inuyasha.

--

_**Art of Love**_

**_Chapter Four: Reminiscing the Past_**

_**--** _

It was Wednesday, which was the day Kikyou performed for Inutaisho at his little social-gathering.

Her gaze was fixed outside through her apartment window. There was a dark mass of clouds hovering over the sky of the city, making the dull city appear even duller than it did before. The climate was no better; it was still hot, and to make matters worse, it was also humid. These were the early signs of precipitation.

Kikyou loved the rain.

She enjoyed hearing the sorrowful, yet rhythmic melody of rain drops falling on the cold, hard ground. The rain and she had a lot in common; they both seemed to bring an aura of melancholy wherever they went, and they both were falling from grace, well, in her opinion, she had already fallen from grace many years ago.

She also liked the sound of roaring thunder. The booming blare of thunder always reminded her of the timpani. If struck with great force, it could be even more deafening than thunder.

But she also hated it. She hated it because on _that_ day, it was raining. She had felt like the rain had also betrayed her that day.

--

_A lone maiden made her way through the crowded street. The rain was pouring heavily, and it was only the afternoon. Her face was covered by a plain, black umbrella. She wore a jade-green turtle neck sweater and a pair of blue jeans. She also was carrying a black suitcase. She walked gracefully through the place._

_She raised the umbrella up higher, and her face was now in view. The petite woman beneath the dark umbrella was none other than Kikyou. Her facial expressions were bright despite the heavy rain; she looked content. _

_Who wouldn't be happy to be back home? Kikyou had been away on a trip to New York and other surrounding cities and states for five months to perform on a tour with the orchestra she pertains to, and now she was back. Back to where she was born, raised, and met her beloved, Inuyasha. _

_She had missed him while she was at New York. She could not get her mind off of him since she had left; especially since they had made a promise to each other before she had left. _

_They had promised to wed when she was back, and since they had made that promise, she has been very anxious about it. They had also promised to meet at the park when she got back from her trip. And that was where she was going at that instant; the park._

_Soon, she was at the entrance to the tall gates of the park. The park was one of her favorite places to go to. She always used to go there when she was down. She had found out that the park's tranquil atmosphere calmed her down. It was also an ideal spot for couples to gather. _

_Kikyou walked blissfully through the path of evergreen trees. The heavy rain pounded against her black umbrella; it was like the rain was trying to break through her defenses._

_She was headed towards a bench that she and Inuyasha and herself always occupied before she left on her trip. _

_Time stopped completely for Kikyou when she saw the scene right in front of her. The bench that was surrounded by the field of green grass and was near the shoreline of the small pond was occupied by two people. The bench she and Inuyasha used to sit at and look up at the sky was being occupied by Inuyasha and someone else. _

_She was horrified by the scene in front of her. All her dreams and happiness were all thrown away now. Inuyasha was holding another woman in his arms._

_The girl was a bit younger than Kikyou, and was very pretty. She had a big smile plastered on her lovely face. Her chocolate eyes were lit up with joy and contentment. Her aura radiated joyful and content emotions; all of the emotions which had belonged to Kikyou just a while earlier. _

_Kikyou stepped closer to the happy little couple. She watched as Inuyasha planted a small kiss on the girl's cheek. Kikyou's eyes dimmed and she became even paler than before. All the life and contentment she had been feeling earlier were drained from her._

'_How could he?_'_ Kikyou thought miserably. 'Was I not good enough for him? Is that why he has replaced me?' _

_She should have been the one in his arms. She should have been the one receiving sweet kisses from him. _

_But was it really that girl's fault?_

_No, she probably didn't know that Inuyasha and she were engaged. Or did she?_

"_Kagome…" Inuyasha muttered out. Kikyou's eyes lit up from realization. She knew the girl Inuyasha was with. Kagome was one of her cousins. Kagome couldn't know that she and Inuyasha were engaged. Well, were engaged; as of now, she hated Inuyasha._

"_I-Inuyasha…" Kikyou choked out. Inuyasha looked up toward where the voice had come from. His eyes widened at what he saw. _

"_Kikyou!" Inuyasha called out loudly. Kagome turned her head abruptly to see Kikyou standing still. She had dropped her umbrella and was getting soaking wet. The pounding rain came down on her porcelain skin._

"_Kikyou, what are you doing here? And how do you know her, Inuyasha? Have you two met before?" Kagome asked. She was bewildered at what was going on. Why did her cousin look at Inuyasha with so much contempt? And why was Inuyasha so surprised to see her?_

"_Inuyasha, you broke our promise… I will never forgive you." Kikyou declared unemotionally. She then made her way to turn around on her heel, but Inuyasha grabbed her by the wrist._

"_Kikyou, wait!" Inuyasha yelled. Kikyou turned to look at Inuyasha with her cold, brown eyes. Inuyasha flinched a little; he had never seen Kikyou look at him with such hatred before._

"_Unhand me, Inuyasha." She said calmly. Kagome watched the ordeal from the sidelines; she was confused beyond belief._

_Kikyou yanked her hand away from Inuyasha's grip and began to walk away. "Kikyou, wait!"_

"_No, Inuyasha, I won't wait. It is clear to me that you have found yourself another woman." Kikyou stated icily. Inuyasha looked at her sadly as she walked away from him and his life. _

"_Kikyou…" He wanted to chase after her and tell her not to go, but he saw Kagome's confused face and stayed where he was. _

_Kikyou's dark, black hair cradled her pale face. Her brown eyes were narrowed as she walked gracefully through the sidewalk. Despite her seemingly calm demeanor, in the inside, she felt like she was being torn apart. Her calmness was all a façade. _

_--_

Kikyou scoffed at her thoughts. She was reminiscing once again. How many times has she remembered that incident? Too many times to count, that was the only thing that was certain.

Kikyou walked over to the closet in her bedroom. She thought that maybe choosing something to wear would help distract her from her feelings.

Inutaisho had said it was a formal party, so she had to wear something formal. She opened the doors to her closet and searched through all her clothes. Her attention was caught by one particular dress. The dress was black and was very long. It had a very simple design, but still managed to look elegant and beautiful.

She took the dress from the hanger and placed it neatly on the bed as she began to undress. She then put on the black gown on her body and zipped it up. She walked towards the mirror and observed herself. She looked at her reflection and frowned. She didn't frown at how she looked, though; she frowned about how many unpleasant memories the elegant gown brought.

She went into the bathroom and readied herself up. She looked at her reflection once more and checked herself. The gown suited her perfectly; she looked astonishing in it. The dress had a single small slit on the side of it, but it was not very showy; the slit didn't go very high. The dress was held by two straps on her shoulders. The darker-than-night color of the gown was a noticible contrast to her milky, white skin.

Kikyou hadn't bothered with putting too much make-up on. She didn't need it, after all. She did, however, wear a thin layer of rouge on her lips, as well as a bit of eyeliner.

She had decided to let her long, flowing hair down. The only ornament in her hair was a simple little hair ornament. Overall, Kikyou looked stunning.

Kikyou then left the room to get her purse, as well as her flute. She was supposed to perform on three instruments, which included her flute, violin, and piano. The piano and violin were provided for her, but she had decided to take her own flute.

Kikyou then got out of the apartment and left to Inutaisho's manor in a taxi. The taxi stopped in front of two gates leading to a large manor. Kikyou stared at the place before she went through the opened gates.

Kikyou wasn't surprised; she wasn't new to manors and places similar to them. In fact, she was quite used to them. Kikyou walked through the pathway leading to the doors and noticed the beautiful gardens surrounding the place. There were pretty pink roses lining the wall separating the manor's gardens and the outside world.

Someone heading the opposite way Kikyou was going accidentally bumped into her. Kikyou gazed at the person who had bumped into her and noticed it was the same one who Kaede had bumped into.

The man seemed too preoccupied to even acknowledge Kikyou and he did not even utter out a word of apology. Kikyou thought it was rude of him not to do so, but she brushed it off.

Kikyou then proceeded to entering the manor. She walked in gracefully and was immediately greeted by the sight of Inutaisho smiling at her.

"Ah, Kikyou, you're here." He greeted her warmly. Unlike his son, Inuyasha, Inutaisho was much more amiable. "I'm guessing that the little case in your hand is your flute, correct?"

"Correct, sir." Kikyou replied. Inutaisho frowned a little.

"You don't have to be so formal, just call me Inutaisho." He said while faking a frown. Kikyou laughed a little at his pretend pout. Inuyasha used to do that all the time.

"I'll try, Inutaisho." Kikyou said. As soon as she finished her sentence a man passed by them; it was the same one who had bumped into her earlier.

"Sesshoumaru, come over here for a second." Inutaisho called out to the man. Sesshoumaru stopped at hearing his name and turned around to face his father.

"What is it, father?" Sesshoumaru said rather coldly. He was a little irked that he had to attend his father's social-gathering.

'_Father? Then this must be Inuyasha's elder brother... No wonder they look so much alike.' _Kikyou mused.

"Come, I want you to meet someone." Inutaisho ordered his eldest son. Sesshoumaru walked over to his father and Kikyou. "Sesshoumaru, this is Kikyou, the musician I hired. And Kikyou, this is my eldest son." He introduced them to each other.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir." Kikyou said as she bowed a little.

Sesshoumaru looked over the girl and noticed she was about the same age as Inuyasha. He had to agree that she was not bad-looking, in fact, she was pretty attractive; her black dress suited her features well.

"Nice to meet you too." Sesshoumaru said too coldly for his father's liking. Inutaisho sighed; why was his son so… cold? Kikyou, however, didn't seem affected by Sesshoumaru's coldness.

"Kikyou, how about you go practice your instrument for a while until the guests come, hmm? You can practice out here." Inutaisho inquired. Kikyou nodded her response and headed towards the corner of the room.

She got out her flute from her case and started to warm-up. Sesshoumaru stopped what he was doing to hear the flute. Kikyou started playing all twelve major scales in all octaves as well as some minor scales. Sesshoumaru was a little surprised to hear her play. She had great tone quality.

All the other musicians Sesshoumaru's father had hired in the past didn't seem as good as this one, and weren't exactly to Sesshoumaru's liking. Perhaps, this one would be to his liking...

--

Okay, I lied… Inuyasha didn't appear in this chapter, but he will next one. Sorry…

**Note:** I recently received a review about the pairing. Look, I clearly stated in the beginning that if you don't like the pairing, then do not read it, and don't whine to me that you don't like it.


	5. Wondrous Music of the Night

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Inuyasha.

**--**

_**Art of Love**_

_**Chapter Five: Wondrous Music of the Night**_

_**--**_

After approximately an hour, guests were starting to appear through the door leading inside the large mansion. By then, Kikyou had stopped playing and sat patiently on the piano's stool. She glanced at the incoming people and noticed they were of the nobility.

There were ladies with exquisitely beautiful gowns that made Kikyou's own dress look dull and boring compared to their colorful ones. They would happily greet Inutaisho with warm smiles and then get together with other women and cheerfully begin to gossip.

There were many men, both old and young, wearing elegant tuxedos. They would eventually start to flirt with the ladies that were gossiping. Depending on how they looked, the girls would either tell them off or flirt back at them.

Then, there came married couples as well as unmarried couples. Some were happy and wore genuinely happy smiles on their beaming faces. She couldn't help but feel a little envious of them. She turned a little sour as she remembered Inuyasha, but as soon as the thought came, it left because she shoved it out of her mind.

Other couples wore artificial smiles as they passed Inutaisho and as soon as they were alone they would frown and snarl at each other.

Kikyou then noticed the man she had met earlier, Sesshoumaru, at the far end of the room. He was alone except for the occasional female who tried to get him to notice her, but other than that, he was completely alone. He was frowning deeply.

'_Perhaps if he wore a more pleasant expression on his face he wouldn't be so alone, but then again maybe he wants to be left alone.' _Kikyou thought to herself.

"Hello Kikyou. I see you're doing well." Inutaisho interrupted her reverie. Kikyou was startled a bit, but she quickly regained her composure.

"Yes, quite." She replied simply.

"How would you like to meet my younger son, Inuyasha?" Inutaisho asked all of a sudden. At the sound of Inuyasha's name, Kikyou cringed. "He's a little rough around the edges, but he's still charming." Inutaisho added.

"No, it's alright, I'm sure your son doesn't want to be bothered." Kikyou assured Inutaisho. She didn't want to be rude, but she'd rather not confront Inuyasha, at least not right now.

"Nonsense, Inuyasha wouldn't be bothered meeting by a pretty young lady like yourself." Inutaisho said in his kind way. Kikyou turned her eyesight downcast and Inutaisho noticed her strange gesture. He said nothing more and instead gave her a warm and hearty smile. Kikyou said nothing but she appreciated the fact that Inutaisho did not press the matter any further.

Sesshoumaru watched the place with his cold, uncaring stare. Oh, how he hated parties. He didn't see what made them so "fun"; in fact, he didn't see why his father insisted he come, nobody seemed to be noticing him and his father had clearly stated that people would be disappointed if he didn't attend. Once again, his father tricked him into doing something Sesshoumaru didn't want to do.

Sesshoumaru then noticed the young woman, Kikyou, sitting by herself on the piano bench; completely alone except for the somber piano in front of her. He saw her steady gaze looking at the approaching people.

Kikyou noticed the horde of people coming through the doors and took that as a cue to start playing. Her fingers practically glided on the piano from key to key; everybody's attention shifted from the conversations they were having to the graceful young lady playing the piano. It had taken them a back a little, they weren't expecting music. In fact, they hadn't seen the young woman at all, and they realized: How could they have missed her?

Kikyou stood out in that crowd of nobles. It wasn't how she looked or anything, but it was her aura. Her aura was different from everyone else's who was there. Soon, the audience's attention waned from Kikyou's glorious musical talent, and they returned to their conversations.

"Sesshoumaru, have you seen your brother?" Inutaisho approached his elder son.

"The last time I saw him he was whining in his room about having to wear a 'stupid' tuxedo, as he called it. I assume he's not coming, you know he hates social activities such as these, as do I." Sesshoumaru replied rather coldly. Inutaisho sighed heavily; why did his sons have to be so anti-social?

"You two are so much alike…" Inutaisho stated.

"Inuyasha and I are nothing alike. Inuyasha's an imbecile, I am not. There's a major difference." Sesshoumaru replied; annoyed. It was true; he and Inuyasha were nothing alike in his opinion. He hated when people even tried to imply that they were the same in many ways, when they truly weren't.

"Sesshoumaru, can't you at least try to make conversation with other people?" Inutaisho asked his son. Sesshoumaru; however, did not reply; he didn't feel like answering a question when the answer was already known. Inutaisho sighed in defeat, and left Sesshoumaru all to himself.

Inutaisho then decided to try and drag out Inuyasha out of his room. Inutaisho went up the stairs until he was standing in front of a door that had a little sign that read, "Keep Out!" Inutaisho rolled his eyes at the sign; Inuyasha could be such a child sometimes. Inutaisho then proceeded to open the door, and there was Inuyasha sitting on his bed, apparently listening to some music. Inuyasha gave his father a look of pure rage and astonishment.

"Hey, can't you read?! It says keep out!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Stop being such a child and get out there!" Inutaisho yelled at his younger son. "Not even Rin, who **is **a child, is so immature!" he added. Inuyasha grumbled angrily, but remained on his bed.

"Do I have to? I mean, what's the point? I'm not gonna make a difference." Inuyasha replied trying to make a point.

"Inuyasha, just go down there and present yourself. Imagine what they'll say if the host of the party's son didn't even attend." Inutaisho ordered Inuyasha. Inuyasha sighed and knew that he couldn't win against his stubborn father, so he called a truce.

"You just want me to present myself, right?" Inuyasha spoke.

"Yes, Inuyasha."

"Then, how about we make a truce? I'll go down there, but… I will only be there for about... hmmm... I don't know, a half hour." Inuyasha explained. Inutaisho rubbed his temples and thought about it.

"Can't you extend that time to at least an hour?" Inutaisho questioned; he was extremely irritated about having to make a truce with his own son just so he could present himself.

"No, I can't." Inuyasha replied curtly.

"Fine, you win. Just present yourself, and then you can leave after thirty minutes have passed." Inutaisho agreed to Inuyasha's sly little plan. His brother may have dubbed his brother a complete imbecile who was incapable of thinking, but Inuyasha did indeed think and he wasn't as stupid as most of the world thought him to be.

"Alright then, now get out while I change. I'll come out when I'm done." Inuyasha commanded.

"Alright, but you better not try to leave out the window or anything, or else you'll get the lecture and punishment of your life! Heard me?!" Inuyasha's father shouted at him.

"Yeah, yeah; I won't!" and with that said, Inutaisho left the vicinity of Inuyasha's room, and Inuyasha preceded to slam the door shut while he changed.

"Where did I go wrong?" Inutaisho muttered under his breath.

Sesshoumaru was having a conversation with a man of high society, but was paying little interest to it. Instead, he was listening to the beautiful music the young pianist, Kikyou, was producing from the instrumet. He was thinking of how the song was so melancholic, and he realized that if not for the harmony Kikyou's left-hand was playing, the melody wouldn't sound so sorrowful. He noted the importance of the chords the harmony contained.

Although people thought it strange, Sesshoumaru was actually a knower and admirer of music. But the music he liked was not all like the "crazy" (in Sesshoumaru's opinion) hardcore metal music his younger brother listened to. The music Sesshoumaru had a taste for was the kind of music might one refer to as "classical". Whenever Sesshoumaru had that kind of music on the radio, Inuyasha would comment, "Gee, if you like nerdy music so much, why don't you become a band geek or something?" The comment had earned a retort from Sesshoumaru.

Kikyou concentrated solely on the music she was creating; nothing else. She was so focused on her wondrous music, that she hadn't noticed a door upstairs open suddenly. And she didn't notice the guests turn their heads curiously to the opened door and she didn't notice the murmur of hushed voices that followed the door's opening and closing.

Inuyasha looked down at the people en masse down below and intently stared at their reactions at seeing him. None of them caught his attention very much, but there was someone that did. It was a girl sitting at the piano bench in the corner of the room. Her back was too him, so he couldn't see her face, he did; however, see the black, straight, sea that was her hair. He thought it odd that she, of all people there that night, did not turn to see what the big ruckus was about. She remained there; playing her instrument like nothing else mattered.

Just as soon as they had seen him, they lost interest in him and continued whatever conversations they were having. Inuyasha stepped down the steps slowly; almost dramatically and kept his gaze on the lady that had so captured his attention. Sesshoumaru noticed his brother's staring at the evening's pianist and wondered why he seemed so interested in her. She was only a musician and as far as Sesshoumaru knew, Inuyasha had no respect for those who dedicated their lives to the arts.

Inuyasha kept walking towards her, ever so slowly. He was so close to reaching her, but something stopped him. It was little Rin! "Inuyasha! Look at the pretty lady play the piano! Isn't she so cool!" Rin chided happily; unaware that she had interrupted his walk and thoughts.

"Yeah…" Inuyasha agreed with little Rin.

"I wanna meet her! Come on, Inuyasha, take me to her!" Rin demanded innocently.

"Why don't you go yourself, eh?" He asked her.

"'Cause it's embarrassing to go by myself!" Rin reasoned. Inuyasha sighed, but obeyed anyway. He approached Kikyou; not knowing who she was.

"Miss, can we have a moment of your time?" Rin asked politely. Kikyou ended her piece gradually hearing the soft child's voice of Rin. She immediately smiled and turned to face the little girl. But as soon as she did, she completely froze at the sight in front of her. There were no emotions that were reflected in her chocolate orbs, but within, distress ruled.

"K-Kikyou…" Inuyasha managed to mutter out. Unlike her expressionless eyes, his were full of many emotions. Sesshoumaru observed the scene from afar. Why did Inuyasha looked so shocked? And why did Kikyou look so rigid? Did they know each other…?

--

**Author's Note: **Yepperz, I finally decided to update! Probably thought I was dead by now, eh? Well, after a long period of writer's block, I'm finally starting to rehabilitate! Yep, yep! Nya! Well, I hope you guys liked the chapter… and I encourage you guys to leave a review! Pwease! Mwhahahahahaha!


	6. Nocturne

**Author's Note:** Are you all gonna eat me for taking so long…? I really hope not… T-T

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha in any way, shape, or form.

**--**

_**Art of love**_

_**Chapter Six: Nocturne**_

--

"K-Kikyou…? Is it really you…?" Inuyasha asked; completely stupefied.

"My, Inuyasha, it's been so long since we've last seen each other and that's all you can manage to say?" Kikyou replied rather coldly. Her eyes were like frost; cold and penetrating.

"Kikyou… What are you doing here?" Inuyasha questioned; finally able to regain his voice.

"I was hired; after all, I am a musician." Kikyou answered.

From her spot in between both Inuyasha and Kikyou, Rin could only stare. Even though she was only a child, she could almost see the palpable tension between the two. Why that tension existed between the two of them; however, was beyond Rin's understanding.

Sesshoumaru intently watched the interaction between his half-brother and the young musician. He took note of the icy glares the woman gave Inuyasha. Whatever happened between the two was a complete mystery to Sesshoumaru, but one thing was clear to him: they were not on good terms. Perhaps the outcome of the current situation would prove to be somewhat interesting.

"Who hired you?" Inuyasha pressed on.

"Your father, I presume. He didn't tell you?" Kikyou said coolly. Inuyasha didn't have time to respond before she added, "I ask you to leave me be, Inuyasha, for I have a job to do. Something you don't."

Inuyasha didn't fully realize the insult she had hurled at him at first, but after a few moments of pondering he realized what her offense was.

Kikyou gave a small smile to Rin before she turned round to once again continue to play. Inuyasha remained standing next to her, absolutely speechless. He stared hard down at her back; obviously hurt that she would say something like that.

"Kikyou, please…" He began softly, but she completely ignored him; continuing to play the tune on the piano.

"Ah, I've seen you two have met." The kind and hearty Inutaisho said. He came to stand next to Inuyasha, who had his gaze downwards. Kikyou turned her head slightly to give a greeting to Inutaisho while still playing the piano. "Well, I'm going to have to take Inuyasha away with me now." Inutaisho added as he tugged on his son's arm.

Once the father and son were out of earshot of Kikyou, Inutaisho immediately began questioning. "So, what were you two talking about, eh?"

"Nothing." Inuyasha replied gruffly.

"Then what were you doing there, huh?"

"Rin wanted to meet her, and she didn't want to go by herself, so she dragged me with her." Inuyasha said.

"So… You didn't say anything to her?" Inutaisho persisted.

"Ugh! It's not really any of your business, anyway, so would you stop asking?!" Inuyasha retorted angrily.

"You are so rude! Have you no manners?" Inutaisho scolded. "But, whatever, come with me to introduce you to some people. Oh, and please, for once in your life, try to be well-mannered or at least act like you are."

Sesshoumaru smirked at the interaction between the musician and his annoying half-brother. It's very rare for the arrogant man to be interested in anything, but this was an exception. It was clear to him that whoever the woman is, she causes Inuyasha pain. Sesshoumaru could see the traces of a great sorrow, of immense guilt in the facial expression of Inuyasha.

Sesshoumaru then turned his attention to the pianist. He watched her intently as her long, thin fingers danced along the piano keys. She then struck the keys one last time as she played the final, thunderous chord of the song with a show of amazing dexterity. As soon as she stopped, Sesshoumaru's gaze snapped from her fingers to her face. Perhaps maybe he could decipher her expression and learn more about the situation, but he found that to be difficult. Kikyou's face was frozen. She was just as unreadable as he! There was no trace of emotion in that porcelain face. No sadness, no pain, no hatred; just the same frown she had worn ever since she had come in. There was no shine in her eyes; no expression! Sesshoumaru didn't realize it, but it was like staring at himself.

Or rather… it was like staring at a porcelain doll.

After her tremendous finish, those who had been paying attention to the piano virtuoso gave her a round of applause and some even personally went to compliment her marvelous performance, including none other than Inutaisho. Sesshoumaru was no idiot when it came to fine music, and he had to agree that Kikyou was indeed a splendid and skilled musician. He had heard very few performances that could equal hers in skill.

"Bravo Kikyou! That was amazing, how about you play something else for us?" Inutaisho suggested, and now all eyes were on her. Inuyasha watched her from the sidelines, still looking very guilty and agitated.

Kikyou gave a slight nod and gave the crowd a polite smile as she placed her graceful fingers over the keyboard of the piano. Even the usual uninterested Sesshoumaru came to watch the talented artiste perform.

Then, her fingers softly came down to touch the keys, and the first pitch resounded through the room. Soon, her music filled the room completely, and the people surrounding her closed their eyes in appreciation. The music notes were delicate and agile, and they seemed to glide as she played. Her finger moved softly over the keys, seeming to dance over the notes; sharps and flats respectively.

Sesshoumaru; however, kept his eyes open, keeping his gaze on Kikyou, never once glancing away. Despite the soft and suave tone of the song, he sensed a certain darkness about it; a deep sorrow that radiated from the manner in which she played, and from the music itself.

She finished the song just as softly as she had commenced it, and a roar of applause followed after her release. She politely smiled and gave many "thank yous" and other words of gratitude at the many words of praise from the audience.

"What was that song?" asked a Inutaisho after the applause.

"It is _Nocturne Op.9_ by Chopin, sir." Kikyou replied.

"Ah, it is such a pretty, calming song." Inutaisho complimented the young Kikyou.

"Yes, yes! It's so beautiful! I felt like… like I was soaring peacefully!" The little girl, Rin, added to Inutaisho's comment. "I wish I could play like that! But I'm not very good…" Rin continued sadly.

"Do you play the piano?" Kikyou smiled down at Rin.

"Um, yeah! I'm learning how to play! But like I said, I'm not very good…"

"You will be; that is, if you practice." Kikyou encouraged the girl. Inuyasha watched from a distance and sighed sadly. Her music was very different from the music he listened to on a daily basis, but he had always loved it anyways. It was always so beautiful, and today was no exception.

Time passed and soon, the party was over with, and the only ones that were left were the family (except Inuyasha, he had gone back to sulk in his room) and Kikyou. She was about done with packing up her violin, which was what she used after playing the piano.

"It was a pleasure hearing your music today, mademoiselle." Inutaisho said to Kikyou. "You were a big success with my comrades as well."

"It was a pleasure to be able to play for you, sir. I hope I could serve you again one day." Kikyou replied back to Inutaisho's praise and bowed.

"That would be awesome if you could come back one day, Miss Kikyou!" Rin chided and bowed as well.

"Why thank you, little miss." Kikyou smiled at the child.

"It's Rin!" Rin said, "I mean, you can call me Rin, Miss Kikyou! 'Cause y'know, my name is Rin!" Rin added after a scornful glance from her uncle. Kikyou gave a small laugh which made Rin blush of embarrassment.

"Well, I'll be going now. It was a pleasure meeting you." Kikyou waved good-bye to the two. Rin waved back enthusiastically.

"Ah, please forgive the rudeness of my two sons! I tried to convince my youngest to see you off, but he refused to. As for my elder son; I'm not sure where he is…" Inutaisho apologized.

"It's alright." Kikyou called back to the pleasant Inutaisho. She then continued on her way out of the beautiful mansion. _'Heh, that Inuyasha. Of course he would avoid me after what happened in there. That fool…' _Kikyou pondered distractedly. When she crashed right into the back of a certain someone, she was brought back to the real world.

"Hey, what the-?" The owner of the back Kikyou had crashed into spoke as he was hit.

"I-I'm sorry! I was not paying attention to where I was going." Kikyou apologized as she realized that the person she had bumped into was the elder son of Inutaisho, Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru turned to face Kikyou and sighed.

"You don't look like the type to be clumsy, girl. Pay attention to where you're going." Sesshoumaru scolded her.

"Once again, I am sorry. Please pardon me." She apologized once more and began on her way again. Sesshoumaru watched and then began to remember that he hadn't seen any other cars parked anywhere else on the property.

"Wait!" Sesshoumaru called out. She turned to answer his call.

"Yes?"

"How are you going to get home?" Sesshoumaru didn't know why he was compelled to ask her such a question. Perhaps it was out of the manners he had been taught since he was a child, or maybe out of curiosity.

"…I'm taking the metro." Kikyou replied; a little surprised as to why he had bothered to ask.

"The metro?" Sesshoumaru glanced downwards at the expensive-looking violin case, "Is that a safe option? After all, it is nighttime, and the city is everything but safe after dark." Sesshoumaru stated.

"It's fine. I can take care of myself. I've taken the metro at night before, but thank you for your concern." Kikyou assured him. Sesshoumaru was about to reply, but somebody cut him off.

"Kikyou, what are you doing here with this bastard?" The voice of Inuyasha cut off any further conversation.

"Dear_ brother_, what do you want?" Sesshoumaru demanded, the word 'brother' laced with extreme distaste.

"I'm tellin' you to get away from Kikyou!" Inuyasha retorted back, and that's when Kikyou stepped in.

"Who are _you_ to tell me whom I can be with and whom I cannot?" Kikyou asked curtly. Sesshoumaru smirked; Inuyasha looked devastated.

"Kikyou… After tonight, I realized how much I still care about you! And this guy, Kikyou, he's no good!" Inuyasha shouted.

"You should talk." Sesshoumaru countered to Inuyasha's insult. Inuyasha looked at Kikyou with pleading eyes, and suddenly, something clicked inside Sesshoumaru's mind. Inuyasha had feelings, or once had feelings, for this girl. "But actually, Inuyasha, if you don't mind, I was going to offer Miss Kikyou a ride home. Going on the metro at this hour of the night is unacceptable for a lady." Sesshoumaru said maliciously. Kikyou's eyes widened.

"No, that won't be necessary 'cause I'll take her home!" Inuyasha insisted as he suddenly reached out and grabbed Kikyou's fragile wrist. Kikyou pulled away viciously; she was livid with anger.

"How dare you!?" She raised her voice as she pulled away.

"Yes, Inuyasha, that was very rude of you. Have you no manners?" Sesshoumaru's voice was the same monotone as it always voice and his eyes beheld no emotion, but one could still distinguish the ridicule behind those words.

Kikyou stared at the two quarreling brothers and wanted to desperately say that she did not need a ride from any of the two siblings, but then she thought of the anger Inuyasha would feel if she decided on accepting the elder's offer. She could already picture the agonizing face of the boy in her mind.

"Sir, I gladly accept your offer. I think that it is rather dangerous to go on the metro. I wouldn't like it if anything happened to my violin." Kikyou replied, still with the coldness that never left her words.

"Then please follow me." His voice as detached as hers.

"Kikyou, why?!" Inuyasha whined.

"Just a little taste of your own poison…" were her final words as she turned her back on the helpless Inuyasha…

**--**

**Author's Notes: **I know… All of you probably thought I was dead, and I deeply apologize for not updating in such an extended period of time. I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive my poor self. I don't really have an excuse for not updating in like… a year or whatever… But hey, I updated! That's what counts, right? O.o Well, I have been kind of busy with school work. Just today I got over with my AP exam! Ugh! The life of a high school student is rather rough, you know… Some of you share my pain… But yeah, I'll stop complaining. Besides, my obsession with Inuyasha has subsided (and has went to Death Note. I'm shameless). Hopefully, I will update sooner.

On to another subject, The full name of the song Kikyou plays is _Nocturne Op.9, No.2_ by Frederic Chopin (I think, but I'm pretty sure). The song sounds cute and is given the direction _dulce,_ but it sounds as if it wad a little sad, and has some depth behind it. I think that if Kikyou were a musician, one of her favorite composers would be Chopin for some reason... Wow, that was deep...


End file.
